We would like to introduce you to one of our graduates of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program! With over a hundred graduates since 2019, educators taking The Coach come into the program with different backgrounds, experiences and goals. Because the program is designed to be flexible and practical in nature, each graduate is able to customize their learning experience for exactly their needs – with the support of a mentor and the global community the whole way!
The Coach follows the Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching, a proven framework for success in developing your coaching practice – for you as an individual coach and for your coaching program in your school. These educators have graciously given us permission to post some of their learning and reflections from the private coursework they are undertaking during this program.
Meet Kristen
Kristen came to the coach with many years of experience teaching in international schools and had recently moved back to the US. She was new to her role of ELD (English Language Development) TOSA in Santa Cruz City Schools. As she began her work, she realized that the way the job was initially defined was more of a mini-administrator than an instructional coach.
Once she went through the Thrive Evaluation process in the Coach, she realized what she needed to do to re-imagine the role and guide her district through the change.
She has had HUGE success in redefining the role. She says:
“I was the only person doing what I’m doing and didn’t see anyone who had a similar job in my district, I needed colleagues and partners, but I didn’t know where to find them. The idea of having a global cohort was so appealing, I don’t want to just know what’s happening at a public school just like mine right down the road, I want to know what is happening around the world to be inspired and connected.”
That’s exactly what she got in The Coach. After completing the program, she says:
“The Coach has impacted my coaching practice and the coaching program in my district in so many ways and will undoubtedly continue to do so as we continue to work toward finding clarity and growing the culture of coaching.
Throughout the course, I’ve picked up new tools and skills that I will continue to reflect on and practice, and I’ve bookmarked so many resources and reflections I want to return to as I head into planning for the next school year.
When I started the program, all I really knew was that I wanted to learn and grow as a coach, and that I needed and wanted the support of a course and colleagues in order to do that.
Each of the milestones have supported me in finding greater clarity and purpose in my coaching role–whether by creating ways for me to collect data about what I am doing and how I am spending my time or by giving me a chance to create artifacts I can use as third points in conversations with teachers during coaching cycles and with administrators about the status of and goals for coaching in the district.”
When reflecting on her growth overall, Kristen says…
My biggest area of growth has been in finding, implementing and revising concrete, research-based structures to increase clarity around coaching for all stakeholders. This has also increased my own confidence in my work because I am operating from a place of knowledge, using data, research and tools I am confident will have a positive impact on student learning outcomes, teacher learning outcomes and the overall cultures of collaboration and professional learning at sites across my district.”
Watch Kristen’s Final Project
At the end of The Coach, all participants complete a Learning Journey Video Reflection…
The Learning Journey Video Reflection is a chance for you to reflect on everything you’ve learned and/or discovered throughout this Certificate Program. You will create an 8-10 min video sharing on the goal that you set, documenting the process of working towards your goal, reflecting on your achievement and sharing the process/outcome with our learning community. The most important part of your personal project is that it’s relevant to you, and you can demonstrate, through documentation and video, the impact your work has had on your school.
Kristen says…
When I started the program, all I really knew was that I wanted to learn and grow as a coach, and that I needed and wanted the support of a course and colleagues in order to do that. Early in the course, I struggled to choose one goal because I think I was still in a place where I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Upon finishing the Foundations module, I was pretty sure I wanted to focus on increasing my confidence and capacity for providing professional learning for teachers and admin; on finding structures and creating documentation to support the coaching work being done across my district; and on creating and growing my local and global professional learning communities so I could always have people to continue to learn and work with.
Watch Kristen’s Learning Journey Video Reflection here!
Learn More About Kristen’s Experience!
Kristen was recently featured on the #coachbetter podcast in a Case Study episode.
These case study episodes are designed to share the story of a coach, and the development of their coaching program and practice in their unique setting. At the time of recording, Kristen had just graduated from The Coach. In this episode we talk about Kristen’s journey as a coach, and how she’s been working to develop her own coaching practice and the district’s coaching program. We talk about what coaching looks like in her district, what works and what’s challenging, her “aha’ moments from her first years as a coach, how she’s refining her practice for the next year, and what she wishes she knew before she started. If you’re curious about scaling your impact as an instructional coach, this episode is for you!
Listen to the case study episode with Kristen here!
Want to Learn in a Community Like This?
If you’re finding value in these episodes and you’re working to be more intentional in your coaching practice in the upcoming year, please join us for the next global cohort of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program. Registration will open in early September and the program will run from the end of September 2024 – May 2025.
The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program is a comprehensive academic-year-long professional learning experience designed for experienced educators who are ready to be intentional and strategic in their instructional coaching role so they can build a thriving coaching culture. This course on the essential foundations of instructional coaching and building an instructional coaching program.
In The Coach we’ll support you in developing your coaching practice and program following the Thrive Model for Instructional Coaching success.
Not only will you learn everything you need to be successful as a K12 instructional coach, with an entire academic year of curated coaching content, but you’ll also get the support of a mentor to adapt your learning to exactly your needs & experience level for the entire program!
The program is truly personalized – because we know you’re coming to The Coach with your own experience and expertise. So wherever you are in your coaching journey, we can support you in taking the next step forward.
Plus, inside our private community, you’ll learn with a global cohort of coaches from schools around the world, so you can see how coaching really works in other schools – and build your network of coaches!
Our global cohorts open only once a year (and it’s coming up soon!) – get all the details and join the waitlist for our next cohort at edurolearning.com/coach
If you’re not sure if The Coach is right for you, send me a DM at EduroLearning on social media and let’s talk it through! I’d love to support you on your coaching journey!
Find out more at: https://edurolearning.com/coach/
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